UPDATED: Social Entropy

Social Entropy

All systems in the universe approach a state of total chaos. In this vein of thinking, the very function of civilization is to keep the human species from dissolving into chaos. Can you imagine what the world would be like with six billion people and no laws or social customs? In order to prevent this anarchistic state, a very small minority of people carve out the tenets of society through cultural customs, religion, and judicial processes. However, the actual execution of these rules has a two-fold effect.

The first effect of this social organization is that of bringing people together harmoniously. As examples, charity work and life-saving medical research, which may seem unrelated, are actually the offspring of well-intentioned individuals who were organized into a group and thus able to pool their efforts and maximize their effectiveness. This is the boon of ordered structures of social interactions. However, this positive effect is overshadowed by the dark side of organized society.

People collaborating their efforts in large groups with little control over one another can be a very fruitful experience. However, inevitably in all types of civilizations, which are truly crafted and controlled by a global ruling class, the common person follows social rules and examples for no better reason other than the fact that they exist. This sheep-like activity allows the ruling class to exploit and abuse the masses with little to no consequence.

The ruling classes of various countries have developed methods to quell any retribution for their self-serving behavior. For instance, in the United States, the “American Dream” is an indoctrination tool whereby people are told that if they work hard and apply themselves, they actually have a chance of becoming rich and prosperous and able to control their own destiny. Thus, generation after generation, the American working class plods along in unrewarding and degrading jobs, allowing the economic elites to ravage the country and economy. The working class allows this behavior of the ruling class because, in their ignorance, they believe that it is acceptable to desire and have those privileges for themselves once they rise through the ranks of society. In less-developed and smaller nations, such as certain countries in Africa, a military dictatorship is sufficient to allow a small group of people to exploit the citizens of the controlled nation.

A most poignant observation, upon accepting this view of human society, is that capitalism as it is practiced today belongs on the dark side of social entropy. The very idea of most of the wealth in a society being controlled by a minority of its members is categorically at odds with a morally justifiable view of the world, unless every member of the society has an equal opportunity to gain a fair share of said wealth. In order to allow every person an equal chance to gain a level of wealth that is proportionate to their contribution to society, several things must occur.

The first necessary change, the change from which all the other changes necessarily flow, is to provide all human beings with free access to high-quality education.

The second necessary change to society is the abandonment of categorizations for people. For instance, the idea of separating people by race, religion, nationality, physical attributes, mental ability, or any other similar factors must be overcome in our society. Until we no longer judge a person by any qualities that he or she cannot control, we cannot legitimately consider ourselves to be magnanimous.

The third necessary change is to end all inheritance of wealth in any form. The purpose of capitalism is to allow members of society to gain a share of wealth that is relative to their motivation and ingenuity. If we allow wealth to be passed down through generations, it negates the point of capitalism. Inheritance allows a person to gain wealth without making a proportionate contribution to society. In addition, all living people should be given equally strong motivation to strive for human progress. Any members of society who inherit wealth are arguably no longer motivated to make progressive achievements in any field of human endeavor, because they are no longer forced to earn their own living. How many important discoveries or inventions have been made by somebody who inherited a trust fund?

The fourth necessary change is place a legal limit on the size of corporations. There are several problems that result from over-sized corporations, the first being that as a company grows, the more ruthless and destructive it must become, due to the relatively static nature of a large organization. Larger companies find it more difficult to responsibly compete in a dynamic global economy. Therefore, they instead attempt to alter the market, through political channels, to fit their own situation. For an example, consider oil companies. Due to the unsustainable nature of a petroleum-based economy, as well as increasing concern over climate change, these companies are headed for a major downsizing, if not total failure. However, they artificially increase their own longevity, usually by military intervention in an oil-rich country (for instance, both Gulf wars). These interventions cause a massive and widespread deregulation of business activities in the affected regions, allowing the piracy of natural resources. Instead of the market pushing companies towards the long-term financial sustainability of renewable energy technology, the oil companies distort the market to prefer the short-term, high-risk profitability contained within petroleum-based economic activity. The other problem with over-sized corporations is that their very existence is a threat to the stability of the overall economy. With too many resources tied up in any one company, the failure of said company can cause a massive recession. The current global downturn is proof-positive that the failure of a handful of over-sized companies can depress the entire world’s economy.

As soon as we implement these changes, societal progress will be boundless. The distribution of wealth in the world will become more just, and discrimination will end. For the first time in history, we could be proud to be members of the human race.